Electric welding apparatus.



O. A. KENYON. ELECTRIC WELDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.29, 1912.

1,154,320; Patel ltedSept. 21, 1915.

% C I If /3 I a STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS ALLEN KENYON, OF HASTINGS-UPON-HUDSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO 7 JOHANNES KJ'EKSTAD AND WILHELM SCI-IENSTROM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC WELDING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 21, 1915.

Application filed October 29, 1912. Serial No. 728,337.

To all whom it may concern .Be it known that I, OTIs A. KEnroN, of I-fastings-upon-Hudson, Westchester county, New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Welding Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear,

- simple means for controlling the welding arc. Arc controllers have generally been designed to meet the requirements of the generator rather than the arc itself, the object being to maintain a constant-load on the generator without reference to the control of the welding arc.

In arc welding, both carbon and metal pencil, but especially with a metal electrode or pencil, where the arc is very short, a great deal of trouble is experienced from continual interruption of the arc, due to a slight vibration of the hand of the operator. If the pencil approaches the work too closely, it freezes to it, and if it recedes too far from the work, the arc is broken.

To overcome this difficulty due to lack of skill of the operator, and to facilitate convenience and safety in operating a welding arc, are'further objects of my invention. In carrying out this idea I provide controlling means by which the {value of the current can .be adjusted in advance, and the apparatus set so that a load of an equivalent arc will be imposed upon the generator, the equivalent arc current being of the same value as the current carried across the welding arc terminals, and the equivalent arc circuit being automatically broken when the welding arc is sprung. This greatly facilitates the welding operation, as it enables a controller to be set in the first instance at the desired current value as indicated by suitable instruments, and avoids the necessity of constant manipulation of the controller after the welding arc is struck. Furthermormlf provide an impedance or reactor in the circuit of the welding arc, which serves as a balance or ballast to compensate for the fluctuations occasioned by the variance in the length ofthe are caused by'the imperfect movements of the tool or pencil as above noted, also to take up the shock of short circuit in the first lnstant when the circuit is closed. This will be fully understood from the description which follows.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specificat1 on, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a diagram of one of the units of the system, and Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the general arrangement where several units are used connecting with a single source. of current supply.

The diagram shows a simple and convenlent form of my invention, in which the terminals A and A are connected across the source of electric energy by means of the wires or. and o the source of energy being in this instance a generator B, which can be either a direct or alternating generator. No,

resistor D, thence through one of the several switches 10 and the wire I) back through the impedance coil or resistor E, the automatic switch 11, and the wire a back to the source of current supply. The wire 6 branches, and one branch includes the reactor or impedance coil 12, the shunt 13, and the terminal F to which one of the wires cl leading to the pencil or tool is connected, while the opposite terminal F has 1 a connector d which forms one connection across the welding arc, and the terminal F is connected to the terminal A by the Wire a The shunt 13 connects by the wires ee with the relay 14, the armature 14 of which is adapted to make and break the circuit which includes the wire ,f and the automatic switch 11, this being controlled through the solenoid 15. If

desired, practically the same purpose can be source of electric energy, which i the terminal It is an advantage of this system that so' long as there is suilicient current, a whole series of units may be connected with a single source of supply, Referring to Fig.2, 16 represents the generator switchboard from which the leads c-rfl lead to the several stanchions 17 which. can'be conveniently arranged, and which carry the terminals AA above referred to. From these terrnithe leads a -s continue through the circuit as above described to the terminals E i which for convenience in connection with the whole system shown in Fig. 1, are arranged in the portable controller box 18 which can be moved to any convenient point. l have not shown the controller box in vcletail, because obviously thi forms no part of the invention, I

The mode of operation is as follows: The may be either at, c, or a, c, is located in a position most suitable for its economic operation, and from it are run distributing leads to all points where welding is likely to be done, Fig. 1 showing one of these leads, and Fig. 2 the general arrangement. lhe operator. moves the controller to a position convenient to the worl-rto be done, and connects the terminals A-A to the line or source of electric energy as already described. Upon closing the iirst'switoh 10-of the adjustable resistor D, the circuit is completed through. the resistors C and l and switch 11, back to the generator, the electricity flowing through the wire of, the resistors 'C and l), a switch 10, the wire 5, the resistor or inipedance coil E, the switch 11, and the wire a back to the generator. The switches 10 are now manipulated until the current through the impedance coil E is brought to the value desired for use with the welding are, that is to say, it a current of 150 amperes is used at the arc, the switches are adjusted so that the equivalent are above described. will take 150 amperes of current. The next step is to connect the welding circuit which includes the arc across the terminals FF then when the arc is struclt at H, this representing the point of contact between the welding material and the Welding tool, the electricity will shunted around the impedance of the equivalent are E, the electricity passingthroush the wire 6, the reactor 19;, the shunt 13, the "ire t, F, the wire 63, the are u, the wire at, the tern' l 5, t wire 0, the terminal A and the v ato the first instant the i" is extremely low, increase at a rapid r prevents a rapid rent causes it to drop out, hus cutting the equivalent are oedance from the circuit. ll w it the eqinvalent arc impedance has been properly dimensioned the current will quickly take up the value to which it was adjusted before the arc was struck. Thus it will be seen that the purpose of the equivalent arc circuit is to enabl the operator to the value of the electromotive force current with certainty and despatch, and without starring an arc. lncidentally,

in conjunction with the automatic switch 11, it acts to prevent large fluctuations in the total load when the arc is frequently interrupted, and in this respect it is very successful. It would also be possible, and under some conditions it might be desirable, to arrange the equi alent arc impedance so that a definite portion of it would be in series with the welding are at theinoinent contact is made.

The reactor 12 which is always in. series with the arc, retards all fluctuations in the value of the current. It the operator brings the welding pencil or electrode too close to the work, i, prevents an instantaneous increase in the current, and if his hand is shaking, the electrode will have time to recede before the current has so greatly increased as to cause a bridge to be formed between the electrode and the work. If the electrode recedes too far from the work, the reactor will cause the current to hold on and will maintain the are for a few instants. in this way the reactor 12 automatically compensates for a slight shaking of the operators hand, and thus it requires less skill to weld when this controlling system is used than is generally required, or with the same degree of skill the operator can successfully manipulate longer Welding pencils.

It will be understood that this system can be used in connection with either carbon pencils or with metal pencils which form the flux to facilitate the Welding operation.

I wish to emphasize the fact that the important feature of my invention lies in the use of a resistance equivalent to that of the welding are, which is substituted for the are when the latter is not in use, and which perrnits the operator to adjust the value of the current before beginning worlc and when the arc is struclr, the equivalentare is automatically' dropped from the circuit.

l clairn:-

An electric welding system. comprising electric circuit, a resistance said circuit which is equivalent to the resistance of e Wel ing are, a second hr nch circuit 'ected the fi st circ which I Hill .an electric circuit, a resistance in said circuit which is equivalent to the resistance of the Welding arc, a second or branch circuit Which includes and is closed by the striking of the Welding are, an adjustable resistance common to both circuits, and means for automatically cutting out the equivalent resistance of the first circuit when the arc is struck and the second circuit closed.

, 3. An electric Welding system comprising an electric circuit connected to the circuit of the Welding are, a resistance in said first circuit in parallel Withand equivalent to the resistance of the'welding are, a second circuit connected to the first circuit and including the Welding arc, said second circuit being closed by the striking of the arc, a reactor in said second circuit and an automatic switch in said first circuit arranged to cut out the aforesaid equivalent resistance When the arc is struck thereby leaving the reactor in circuit With the Weldingarc so long as the latter is closed.

4. An electric Welding system comprising an electric circuit connected to the circuit of the Welding arc, a resistance in saidfirst circuit which is equivalent to the resistance of the Welding arc, a second circuit including the Welding arc Which is closed by thestriking of said are, automatic means for cutting out the equivalent resistance in the first circuit when the second circuit is closed and an adjustable resistance common to both circuits which can be set 1 before the arc is struck.

v 5. An electric elding system comprising an electric circuit connected to the circuit of the Welding arc,a resistance in said first circuit in parallel With the Welding are, a second circuit connected to the said first circuit and including the elding arc, means for cutting out the resistance of the first circuit by the-striking of the arc in the second circuit, and a manually adjustable resistance common to both circuits which can be set before the arc is struck to the desired resistance of the Welding are.

6. An electric Welding system comprising an electric circuit connected to the circuit of the Welding arc, a resistance in said first circuit in parallel With the 'Weldingvarc and of essentially equivalent resistance, a second or branch circuit connected to the said first cir cuit and to the Welding are, an automatic switch operated by the striking of the arc and Which is arranged to cut out the aforeisaid equivalent resistance When the arc is struck, and means for adjusting the said equivalent resistance before the arc is struck to the desired resistance of the arc.

OTIS ALLEN KENYON. Witnesses:

WARREN B. HmenmsoN, ARTHUR G. DANNELL. 

